THRIVE MANILA | October 17 to 25, 2015 | Click on the image to visit the THRIVE Facebook page and learn more about this inspiring event

(Originally published in Inquirer.net on October 16, 2015) It’s a curious kind of convergence, happening in one of the world’s most complicated cities to navigate and live in. Artists and designers will get to hang around startups, who’ll also get to meet social media mavens and social enterprises, who’ll most likely be enjoined by bike advocates and environmentalists to support their causes. There will be art, music, green and healthy food, bikes, left and right brains, and more conscientious shopping. Welcome to THRIVE, a first-of-its…Continue Reading “THRIVE: Where Manila’s cool changemakers converge (Inquirer.net)”

BEFORE AND AFTER. Happier in the process. Photos provided by Nina Terol

(First published on August 16, 2014 on Rappler.com) Here are some of the things that the writer did to make that change happen for the long haul. Three months ago, I was 40 lbs. overweight, addicted to chocolates and sweets, and hardly able to walk up 4 short flights of steps without running out of breath. I had just moved into a new job, and my medical test results showed that my cholesterol and triglycerides were high, and my blood sugar levels were above normal….Continue Reading “My weight loss journey: 12 weeks, 20 lbs, no fad diet (Rappler.com)”

The author with former Walt Disney Imagineer McNair Wilson

(First published on June 8, 2014 in Rappler.com) Dreading your next big meeting? Empowering advice from former Disney Imagineer McNair Wilson Whether you’re working by yourself or in a team, there will be times when you’ll need a breakthrough idea to save the day. Oftentimes, however, typical “brainstorming” sessions end with nothing much because, according to former Walt Disney Imagineer McNair Wilson, “Nobody knows how to brainstorm anymore… Usually what’s going on is playful arguing with snacks on the table.” Wilson, now an author and…Continue Reading “10 tips for your next brainstorming session at work (Rappler.com)”

FAMILY LOVE. The author (leftmost) says unconditional love defines a truly "modern family."

(First published on March 12, 2014 in Rappler.com) My sister came out to the family when she was in her teens – although she says she knew as early as 5 or 7 years old that she did not have a girl’s heart. It took a while for our family to accept and adjust to this reality even if the signs were there very early on: Kens over Barbies, cars over dolls, crying whenever she would be asked to wear a dress, challenging guys to “one-on-one”…Continue Reading “10 lessons I learned from having a lesbian sister (Rappler.com)”

MEETING MITCH ALBOM IN MANILA: Niña Terol-Zialcita with best-selling author Mitch Albom & freelance photographer Toni Alvarez

Perhaps my best assignment ever as a writer has been getting to meet and chat with one of the world’s most beloved authors, Mitch Albom. Unknown to many, Albom was a musician and an award-winning sports journalist before he captured hearts and minds all over the world with the #1 New York Times bestseller, Tuesdays with Morrie. After having published his latest novel, The First Phone Call from Heaven, Albom took the opportunity to visit the Philippines not only to promote his book, but also–and more importantly–to help rebuild libraries…Continue Reading “Lessons from a conversation with best-selling author Mitch Albom”

Happy International Women's Day! | Graphic by Niña Terol-Zialcita, created using Canva.com

First of all, let me take this opportunity to greet every woman out here for International Women’s Day 🙂 As some of you may already have gathered from reading some of my previous posts, I’m a fan of spoken word poetry and have dabbled in a bit of spoken word myself. So, to celebrate International Women’s Day 2014, I share here a curated list of eight powerful spoken word performances that I believe every empowered woman must watch in order to remind her of her…Continue Reading “8 Powerful Spoken Word Performances for Women”

"PASSION" | Scribble by Niña Terol-Zialcita (2012)

Over a year ago, I was asking myself some life questions and came up with this doodle. I’d like to invite you to answer these same questions and reflect on what it says about you, your life mission, and your current priorities. I feel like for me, NOW is the perfect time to answer this again and see how things have changed since the time I drew this. I’ll definitely be sharing my answers on this blog. In the meantime, consider this my way of…Continue Reading “Answer these questions and define your own passions”

"Self-Portrait #2" by Niña Terol-Zialcita | Correction ink on board (2012)

First Wednesdays of the month are Poetry Slam nights for my favorite hangout, Sev’s Café (which I affectionately call my “unofficial living and dining room”). The “slam” consists of a competition for amateur spoken word artists and poets, while the open mic portion–as the name suggests–welcomes anyone and everyone who wishes to share a piece (or more!). Here is a piece I’ve done for both the slam and our open mic sessions. I wrote it shortly after supertyphoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) flattened many coastal…Continue Reading “Poetry: “You are not Broken””

Mitch Albom and Me ;)

I was such a huge fan of Tuesdays with Morrie, the New York Times bestseller about professor Morrie Schwartz’s lessons on dying and death, as experienced and written by his student, Mitch Albom. Like many of Albom’s readers, I had always regarded him as an inspirational writer whose works are “must-reads” and “must-shares.” So imagine my surprise (and elation!) when I got a call from my Rappler editor, asking if I would take on an assignment interviewing Albom during his trip to the Philippines. My answer was inelegant,…Continue Reading “A Tuesday with Mitch Albom”

BAGS FOR REBUILDING LIVES. [Clockwise from upper left] Taclob meets with master bagmaker, Mr. Yadu Saulo and Khumbmela/Yadu Bag’s managing partner Dhanvan Saulo; 5th grader Angelo is one of the first owners of the upcycled, storm-proof, hand-made Taclob Bags; behind-the-scenes at the Ambassadors of Compassion photo shoot; Jourdan Sebastian in Tacloban, with the first recipients of Taclob bags. All images from the Instagram account of Jourdan Sebastian, used with permission.

(First published on Homegrown.ph on February 21, 2014) How does a country recover from the unprecedented disaster unleashed by a supertyphoon? By creating new opportunities and creating a thriving center for enterprise. by Niña Terol-Zialcita Can the Philippines be the social enterprise capital of the world? This was the bold question raised by Jourdan Sebastian, a filmmaker, producer, actor, and spoken word artist who recently co-organized “Operation Airdrop” to airlift much-needed relief goods to remote areas that were hardest hit by Yolanda. A self-proclaimed “Dreamer Warrior,” Sebastian…Continue Reading “Building The Social Enterprise Capital Of The World (Homegrown.ph)”